Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1887-05-13
DE LESSEPS ENTERPRISE.

NJ. De Lesseps with a perseverance
that age can not tame nor difficulties
daunt, is still canvassing the courts of
Europe for assistance in the gigantic
scheme to which he has pledged his life
and fortune-and would like to pledge
the life and fortune Of every one
else-the scheme of the Panama
Canal. But the European rulers
and diplomatists fight very shy
OF the Panama Canal. The only en-
couragement DeLesseps has yet received
is from Germany, and that encourage
ment was only offered because it afforded
safe opportunity to badger and alarm
France. This mischievous object was
fully attained. as witness the vindictive
scoring the unhappy De Lesseps received
fIom the indignant French press on his
return from Berlin. The fact of the
matter is the European powers want
nothing to do with the Panama Canal.
Should one, or all of them,
afford DeLesseps the necessary assist
ance for the completion of the
work, the canal itself would then have to
be fought for, and it would be a contest
hopeless from the start The nations of
the American continent would never
allow any European Power or Powers to
hold possession of the Panama canal
Hence, though the bait offered by De
Lesseps may be one Europe would like
to swallow, she sorrowfully realizes that
she would be U erly Unable to digest it.
But III any case y Desseps' lifetime will
never see the ... alton of his cherished
scheme. His eyes Will never behold the
completion oi thee Il. Indeed, it is very
probable that long must vet elapse;
that many mil ..s mus t vet be dis
bursed, and tina, eng. ,ering must score
yet greater triumphs before the Panama
canal will be success. OF the diff
culties, dangers and delays attending the
enterprise, the current number of the
Scientific american gives tie following
account:
The prospects for al a. Panama
seem more illusive as the tirue goes on, and
not even the skill and perseverance of the
trench engineers has, 50 EAR su'iced to
lend to the scheme the ali Of praetCability.
Indeed, the tenacity with Bhich thsse en-
glneers adhere to the work must he re-
garded as remarkable by those VINO know
now formidable and disheartenin2 have
oeen the obstacles which came with its de-
Nelopment. These have been pointel out
ana discussed in our columns IN the order
OF tnelr appearance-the deadl;aess Of tine |
climate, the necessity for a monstrous dam |
a1 0anooa, the great difference AZ level be-
!5 eween the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and |
sne disappointing character OF the rock to |
De cut INTO IN the mountain section.
now comes the news from Panama that |
tully ~ per cent. OF the excayated material /
from Tue sections of the canal route is |
Wasneu back by the floods and that this |
has been going on year by wear ever since
work was begun, without any announce
nent OF the fact in the reports The con-
tractors working In the various sections are |
palu certain rates per cubic ward for mate
rlal taken out, and if any part of this is
washed back again they must be paid for
once once more removing it at the same rates as
~hen hrst handled. Thus the company has
oeen' ana is, paying over and over again for
so nan5onng a5 of much of the excavated mat
ana Snu, eu, because of the continual floods
nermsTa,'5S, Is never sure of keeping it
studvino ~ years the engineers have been
floods of tbo SmIODlem as to how the furious
checked " Ouayres river can be STAYED or
Xoa,O. u-as yet without finding n soiution
foiIoU;n, it.er I've. on this subject makes the |
rsf - Interesting quotation from page
ester Geographical Society's